New protections for parents giving up their babies pass unanmously

A bill allowing parents to give up their baby anonymously passed the house with unanimous support this week.

The bill expands on a law from 2000 that allowed parents to give up their children at police stations, hospitals, or fire stations within 72 hours without penalty.

That law, however, required that records be kept of the child’s parents.

Republican Representative Hank Vaupel is the bills primary author. He said the bill would give parents confidentiality when giving up their children at hospitals.

“The birth still has to be recorded obviously but the parents can remain anonymous which up until now they had to have the details of the birth, their name had to be there. That kind of went against the intent of the bill.”

Vaupel said the addition is about keeping parents and babies safe.

“It usually is a situation where there is an abusive relationship, maybe a young lady, high school or college, who doesn’t want their parents or spouse to know that they are pregnant or giving up the baby.”

Since the initial law went into effect in 2000 Vaupel says 175 children have been given up.